Procalcitonin and lung ultrasonography point-of-care testing to determine antibiotic prescription in patients with lower respiratory tract infection in primary care: pragmatic cluster randomised trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To assess whether point-of care procalcitonin and lung ultrasonography can safely reduce unnecessary antibiotic treatment in patients with lower respiratory tract infections in primary care.

Design

Three group, pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial from September 2018 to March 2020.

Setting

60 Swiss general practices.

Participants

One general practitioner per practice was included. General practitioners screen all patients with acute cough; patients with clinical pneumonia were included.

Interventions

Randomisation in a 1:1:1 of general practitioners to either antibiotics guided by sequential procalcitonin and lung ultrasonography point-of-care tests (UltraPro; n=152), procalcitonin guided antibiotics (n=195), or usual care (n=122).

SUBMITTER: Lhopitallier L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9083102 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature